At the End of the Day
by NonsensicalCheshire
Summary: Why Hitsugaya kept her around was always a mystery until the end of the day. Then it always became clear, each and every time.


A/N: So I decided to write this because I know people who ship HitsuMatsu and thought that maybe it would be a good idea to try and please them by writing about their ship. Mind you, because I don't ship it probably means it won't be incredible.

* * *

"Matsumoto!" Toshiro Hitsugaya opened every closet in the halls leading to the his and his lieutenant's office, putting his head in briefly and sniffing for the scent of liquor. Each time he failed he would scowl in his typical manner and slam the door, the move on to the next. Eventually, he arrived at their office.

Ah yes. She was probably in her favorite spot, he assumed. He entered the office and shut the door and swiftly checked under his desk. There was Rangiku Matsumoto, asleep and scratching her chest in an inappropriate manner, muttering to herself. By her elbow was a bottle. He picked it up and turned it over. Bone dry.

Toshiro sighed and stood, scratched his head, and thought. What was the best way to wake Matsumoto out of an alcohol induced sleep? A good idea struck. As she continued to mumble, he pulled a drawer in his desk out as far as it would go, then slammed it with as much force as he could muster, rattling the whole desk and causing a loud, unpleasant sound.

Rangiku shrieked and her crystal blue eyes flew open. Her head hit the top of the desk and she let out a cry of pain. "Owwwww~ Captain, was it you who made that sound? How rude! You shouldn't wake up the hungover with loud noises such as that~"

"I couldn't care less." He used a foot to nudge her from out of his desk and sat down while she lay on the floor and tried to go back to sleep. "You're here, and therefore, you need to do work. Here." He got out of his chair and opened a window. "Fresh air. Stick your head outside, clear your head, feel renergized, and get to work." He sat down again.

The woman managed to place her elbows on the windowsill and pull herself up enough to put her head out the window. Immediately, she winced and groaned against the bright sun that greeted her. "Captain, you give the worst advice ever."

He sighed and his head fell back to look to the ceiling, agitated. Why did he keep her around?

* * *

Working with Rangiku Matsumoto was a chore, he'd learned long ago. It took bribing and patience (something which he had none of after a while). For example, if she did half of her paperwork he'd give pay her more for that day. If she finished all of it, he'd take her out to buy whatever she wanted, so long as it wasn't horribly expensive. She'd perk up at Toshiro's offerings and get to work for a half an hour or so, then decide to laze around again until he began to lecture her on her responsibilities as a lieutenant and member of the Thirteen Court Guard Squads, and that in only so many hours she'd get to go out with Nanao and Hinamori or do whatever.

Every time he had to do this, he'd frown and wonder, _Why do I keep her around?_

It was annoying whenever she did something inappropriate, be it on accident or on purpose, like how she would sometimes stumble and fall against furniture and her chest would come a little more out of her robes and he'd clutch his eyes and shout at her to fix it fix it fix it FIX IT FAST. Or how she'd pull her phone out of her cleavage, then turn to him and smile like all women kept their phones in their boobs. He'd make a face and next thing he knew he was dragging his brush down down down all over the paper he was filling out and he'd freak because Hyorinmaru forbid that he mess up a memo, and Rangiku would rush over and pull him into a tight hug against her cleavage to calm him and he'd get even _more _frustrated.

_Why do I keep her around?_

Her habits of trying to sneak out of the office through any means, like going through the window while he wasn't looking, or just straight bolting for the door, resulting in a twisted game of tag where he sometimes had to release his zanpakuto to freeze her feet or something, because there was just no way he could catch up to her with his short legs. Some days when she was tipsy at work she would even throw a blanket over her head like it was some sort of amazing camouflage and try to sneak out the door.

_Why do I keep her around?_

And then, at the end of the long, long day, he and Rangiku would exit the office and say goodnight, and she'd turn around, every single night, and say, "Thanks for the great day, Captain!," and she'd run off to join some friends. Then, Toshiro would feel the smile spread across his face as he watched her dash off to have fun.

Oh.

That was why.


End file.
